The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of a wind instrument which, for varying the pitch, is provided with keys with which the pitch-determining holes are selectively closeable, a plastic compound solidifiable to form a nonrigid elastic plastic being brought into these keys so as to form seal inlays which are applied against the rim of these holes when the keys are in their closed position. Examples of wind instruments of the aforesaid type are the transverse flute, the saxophone, the clarinet, the oboe, the bassoon and the piccolo.
Usually used as seal inlays in these wind instruments are felt disks which are provided with a covering of gut. This construction of the seals provided on the keys requires a great deal of specialized knowledge and skill for its installation, and the installation of these known seals is associated with great effort. Some of the reasons for this are that the rims of the holes to be closed on the wind instruments are not exactly flat, that the keys are eccentrically supported and that the bottom face of the keys usually has irregularities. On the other hand, however, a tight closing of the keys is necessary for a musically satisfactory operation of the instruments. To meet this requirement, the usual procedure heretofore has been that, after a prior prelevelling of the key bottom, the seal side of the seal inlay is fitted to the shape of the hole rim by means of a thin shim which is laid between the seal inlay and the key bottom and is made of, for example, paper. It is clear that this is a very complicated task requiring a very sensitive "feel" and that consequently the installation of seal inlays by this known technique requires great effort. Moreover, the durability of these known seal inlays is relatively low, so that with a frequently played instrument it is necessary to replace the seal inlays at intervals of approximately one or two years.
The use of prefabricated seal inlays made of elastomeric material (U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,500) is also unable adequately to overcome the above-mentioned difficulties which result from the irregular shape of the holes that are to be closed with the keys.
Also known is a process of the above-mentioned type which provides for filling a liquid or paste-like plastic compound into the keys and solidifying it by means of a hardener, thereby pressing the rims of the holes into the plastic compound. Problems then arise with respect to the shape of the seal inlays produced in such a manner in the keys and with respect to the position which the keys assume when they are closed, since this position too is established in an inadequately determined manner when the rims of the holes are pressed into the plastic compound in the mentioned way. But the shape of the seal inlays affects the sound of the instrument, and the position which the keys assume when they are closed affects the playing characteristics of the instrument.